CHAPTER IX. 



THE CHERRY. 



The cherry, in a cultivated state, was introduced 

 to Britain, from Italy, about two hundred years 

 after Christ. Of its earlier history or origin we 

 know little or nothing. The majority of botan- 

 ists, from the time of Linnseus to that of De- 

 candolle, refer the cherries of our gardens to 

 Prunus avium, L., and Prunus cerasus L. ; the 

 former corresponding with our small wild black 

 cherry of the woods, and the latter with our 

 common red sour cherry. Decandolle, how- 

 ever, has referred the Guigniers, or geans, to 

 Cerasus Juliana, and the Bigarreaus, or hard 

 cherries, to Cerasus duracina. Under these 

 four species, Seringe, in Decandolle's " Prodro- 

 mus," has attempted to form a classification, 

 which does not appear to be very satisfactory. 

 A more simple and better arrangement was after- 

 wards formed in the " Nouveau Du Hamel," in 

 which all the cultivated varieties there enume- 

 rated are referred to the same species as Linnaeus 

 assigned them to, substituting, however, Cerasus 

 sylvestris of Ray for Prunus avium L., and 

 Cerasus vulgaris for Prunus Cerasus L. The 

 French pomologists usually arrange their cher- 

 ries into five classes — viz., Merisiers, Guigniers, 

 Bigarreautiers, Cerisiers, and Groittiers. The 

 first of these includes the wild cherries of our 

 woods ; the second, the geans and part of the 

 Hearts ; the third, Bigarreaus and remainder of 

 the Hearts ; the fourth, such as the May duke, 

 Kentish, and Flemish ; and the fifth, the 

 Morello tribe. 



Mr R. Thompson some years ago drew up 

 a classification of cherries, which is the most 

 perfect we are at present aware of, and will be 

 found in the " Transactions of the Horticultural 

 Society," 2d series, vol. i., p. 248. It is some- 

 what singular that the wild cherry of Europe has 

 only been comparatively lately naturalised in 

 America. Downing says, "It is the original 

 species from which nearly all the fine varieties 

 of hearts and other sweet cherries have sprung. 

 It is chiefly valued in America for the manufac- 

 ture of cherry brandy. It affords also the most 

 valuable seedling stocks on which to bud and 

 graft finer varieties." Seventy-two sorts are 

 described by Downing, besides several grown 

 for ornament. So early as the Roman invasion 

 eight kinds were known. In 1415 the fruit was 

 publicly sold in the streets of London. In 

 1573, Tusser mentions red and black cherries; 



Parkinson, thirty-four sorts ; Ray, twenty-four ; 

 Miller, eighteen ; the Luxembourg garden, 

 about the beginning of the present century, 

 possessed forty-two sorts. Messrs Lawson's 

 Catalogue gives forty-four sorts, Rivers fifty- 

 nine, and Rogers twenty-five; while the "Fruit 

 Catalogue of the Horticultural Society," pub- 

 lished in 1842, enumerates eighty sorts, and 

 to this number considerable additions have 

 been made, originated either in Europe or 

 America. The Americans classify cherries un- 

 der four heads; namely, Heart cherries, Bigar- 

 reau cherries, Duke cherries, and Morello 

 cherries. For ordinary purposes this arrange- 

 ment has its advantages. 



Uses. — The cherry is not only highly prized 

 when ripe as a dessert fruit, but is extensively 

 employed in domestic economy for pies, tarts, 

 &c. ; the fruit is also dried and used as a con- 

 serve, and, when ripe, for making cherry brandy. 

 The celebrated liqueurs, Maraschino, Ratifia, 

 and Kirschwasser, are also made from this fruit. 

 The first is manufactured chiefly in Italy, and is 

 distilled from the leaves and kernels of a small 

 gean or mazard, pounded to cake in a mortar, 

 mixed with honey, and slightly fermented. 

 The last is a distillation of the juice of the 

 common black mazard or gean, in which the 

 stones are ground up with the juice, the whole 

 being fermented before distillation takes place. 

 The gum is nearly equal in quality to gum- 

 arabic, and the wood is hard and durable, taking 

 a fine polish. It is greatly planted as a road- 

 side tree in Switzerland and Germany, forming 

 delightful avenues, both beautiful and useful. 

 One of these in Moravia extends the length of 

 sixty miles — namely, from Brunn to Olmutz ; and 

 there are others of equal extent between Stras- 

 burg and Munich. These avenues are planted 

 by the government, and all persons are allowed 

 to help themselves to the fruit, the only con- 

 dition being that they do not mutilate the trees. 

 The Morello is preferred for cherry brandy, and 

 the Kentish, from its peculiar property of slip- 

 ping from the stone, for drying. 



Propagation. — Like all other fruit-bearing 

 trees, the cherry is propagated by seed, wheij 

 new or improved varieties are desired. Knight 

 has long since asserted that no other fruit tree 

 sports so much into varieties as the cherry, 

 when originated from seed; and he further 



